and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
— Acts 15:9

We continue our journey from Egypt to the promised land. After the Israelites crossed the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua: “Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time“. [Jos.5:2] Notice that the Lord said to circumcise them a second time. The first time, the old generation of Israelites had been circumcised in Egypt. Jesus too was circumcised when He was still under the law, at eight days old. So what is this second circumcision? When was Jesus circumcised a second time, and what does this circumcision symbolise?

After the circumcision the Lord said to Joshua: “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” [Jos.5:9] In this story it isn’t quite clear what this reproach is and how the Lord rolled it away, so let’s look at a similar story in the book of Kings, where the meaning of spiritual circumcision is revealed more clearly. “Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, ‘My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!’ So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.” [2 Kgs.2:11-12] Elisha is often given as an example, a type of the believer or of the church, but we look not at people but at Jesus Christ.

Elijah in this story is the spirit of Christ, which went up by a whirlwind into heaven when Jesus cried out with a loud voice: “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last.” [Luk.23:46] Elisha in this case is the body of Jesus. Just as the chariot separated Elijah and Elisha, so the spirit of Jesus was separated from His body. What happened next? The Gospel of Matthew says: “Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom…” [Mat.27:51] The veil in the temple is the flesh of Jesus Christ. [Heb.10:20] When Elisha saw Elijah go up by a whirlwind into heaven, he took hold of his clothes and tore them in two. So what are these clothes? Paul writes: “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ” [Col.2:11]

When God tore the veil in the temple, and Elisha his old clothes, the Lord in His flesh tore apart our old garments, our sinful flesh. That is why further on, in chapter 3, Paul writes to the Colossians: “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry… put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth… and have put on the new man…” [Col.3:5-10] In other words, if you still think that all the things listed above still belong to you, look at your old garments in the body of Jesus and at the torn veil. Realise that you were circumcised not with hands [by works] but in the spirit, in the heart, and the sign of this was that one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ heart with a spear. And it isn’t those who go in for “self-purification” who are circumcised, but everyone, because it is written that “all the people” were circumcised. [Jos.5:8] All means all!